da vinci sigmoidectomy,

Posted by Mara @bandaids, Oct 25, 2020

Hi , I had my surgery the 15th of Oct. Still feel some pain where I pulled a little when I got home, it's on the right side between two incision markers, I was completely bloated when I woke up , left eye was swollen shut and every time I touched my body it would sound like popping rice krispies. It was incredibly painful. One week out and 3days I feel better, sleep better right abdominal side pain hurts a little, the swelling has gone down but if I'm touched I feel as if I've gotten punched, the shoulders really hurt to touch. The surgeon had only seen this happen once before and the nurse who did the home call only saw it twice in her 43 years of nursing, needless to say recovery in the hospital was really hard. I can see out of my left eye but I now have a headache above and behind it , the Rice Krispies were all the way up past my temple on the left and my thighs. knee joints , arms. the left arm was like play dough except when you pushed down in one area my skin popped up in another. My bowels are okay , I've heard that part takes time and I need to follow the routine of small portions but with protein better I just wondered had anyone ever had this(my therapist said it sounded like the Bends when you scuba dive), my arm that was really swollen has gone down but is extremely sore. I don't want to sound like a baby but how long is a usual recovery? Not that I consider my reaction to the anesthesia or co2 normal so I suspect the aches will be here awhile, I' able to walk, bend down, I cringe when the dog jumps up on the bed but their all very good. Any thoughts , anyone? I hope everyone out there is doing okay especially in light of my own experience, I can only imagine others, Thanks Mara

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Amanda Burnett | @amandaa | Oct 26, 2020

Hi @bandaids, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am glad you found the group and that you decided to join the conversation. I have had many surgeries over the year that deal with my bowels and gastrointestinal system, but I can not imagine the pain and discomfort you must be in. I know that @kathyoung had a similar experience with the crackling of the skin and tissue, @equestrian2020 had issues with tugging and @sunny1971 had pain and adhesions. Perhaps they can speak more to what their issues were and lend some helpful info to you.

Mara, Has your medical team suggested doing any follow-up tests to look into your symptoms?

Mara | @bandaids | Oct 26, 2020

Hi, thank you so much for writing back. I was really taken aback by the swelling and crackling but I was in so much pain all I knew was I had to get through it, later when we found out it was like the bends I thought why can't they put people in those barometric chambers. I have finally gone down but I'm incredibly sore where all the puffiness was (which was pretty much all over) funny my left side got it the worst and as a very small child I had meningitis and after being released from the hospital I kept falling on my left side, although I'm left handed it really feels like my weaker side. I just feel luck that the headache over my swollen left eye is gone and I don't have crackling there anymore. I also grabbed a pillow from behind my back not realizing that my stomach would do a crunch and that was the first day I got home and it is now going away. Wow so much to go through , I'm glad the biopsy warranted the operation , the surgeon took out at least a foot of colon that was diverticulitis corroded. Five or so years ago I had a prolapsed uterus and kept getting UTI's which between that and constipation I have no idea how I functioned (although Id been an athlete, most of my life and raising three boys) I got that fixed and that recovery was just horrendous, that one made me feel sewn up inside so I needed surgery to correct it 3 years later. Unbelievable but I've moved just North of Santa Barbara and found the best doctors and I'd been going to Stanford Hospital, They dxd my auto immune disease which was handled very well, although I was on Methotrexate and prednisone for 5 years. I learned very quickly because my body attacks my muscles, I am now in remission but was told start PT and remember where your starting from as I may not get(I'm older too) back to being as active just not crazy active, simplified.I really appreciate you writing back and I'm sorry this is so long it just feels so foreign, some people have no clue as to any of these body issues we go through , which effects our everyday life.....